


Like Real People Do

by ShamanicShaymin



Category: Rubyquest
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, Blood and Gore, Blood and Torture, Canon Disabled Character, Canon Temporary Character Death, Canon-Typical Violence, Cat anatomy, Communication, Cunnilingus, Dirty Talk, Eager Ruby (Rubyquest), Explicit Language, F/M, First Time, First Time after failed/cancelled attempts, Flirty Tom (Rubyquest), Flustered Ruby (Rubyquest), Hurt/Comfort, Masturbation, Missionary Position, Multiple Sex Positions, Post-Canon, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Praise Kink, Ruby and Tom are dorks, Spooning, The sex itself has no violence or gore, Tom makes use of his multiple arms, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex, Violence happens in flashbacks only, Woman on Top, Xenophilia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:47:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28146330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShamanicShaymin/pseuds/ShamanicShaymin
Summary: After escaping the Metal Glen with Jay and starting a new life, Ruby and Tom have one last hurdle to overcome.
Relationships: Ruby/Tom (Rubyquest)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 4
Collections: Yuletide 2020





	Like Real People Do

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Wasuremono](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wasuremono/gifts).



> I got into Rubyquest a million years late, but oh my gosh, it’s one of the greatest things I’ve ever discovered. Ruby and Tom are also one of my favorite canon ships, so I naturally agree they deserve happiness after everything they went through. ;; Here’s an idea of what an epilogue would be like.
> 
> Fun Fact: Ruby’s birthday in Animal Crossing is the day of Yuletide reveals in 12/25. Tom and Bella also share the same month for birthdays, at the 10th and 28th respectively.

_I will not ask you where you came from  
_ _I will not ask and neither should you  
_ _Honey just put your sweet lips on my lips  
_ _We should just kiss like real people do_

**~Hozier “Like Real People Do”**  
  


“Now what?” was the question since Ruby, Tom, and Jay had escaped the Metal Glen. Where would they go? Where would they live? What would happen if they needed to see a doctor? Would they need to run and hide if people caught wind of their mutations?

That’s when they learned about a little town called Pumpkin Grove. Pumpkin Grove was known for its endless supply of pumpkins long after Halloween was over, as well as being a quiet retreat for several retired circus “freaks.” Tom with his extra arms was seen more as a strongman and Ruby with her third eye as an oracle, and nobody was fazed by the gaping holes in Jay’s wings where hooks used to be.

“We won’t let anybody hurt you again.” the villagers promised. “If you need anything, don’t be afraid to talk to us!”

Ruby, Tom, and Jay shared a cottage together, because why not? They took turns with the dishes, laundry, and taking the garbage out, and Tom handled the heavy-duty tasks neither Ruby or Jay had the strength for. Such activities might be thought of as yawn-inducing by the average citizen, but for the three of them? After everything they’ve been through, things like washing dishes or hanging clothes were a refreshing change from picking up severed hands or deciphering fleshy growths. It almost felt like they were... normal again.

~

For a moment, everything was fine. They had a new home, a new neighborhood, new friends, new jobs. There was nothing to worry about anymore.

Ruby was reading on the couch when she heard a mischievous purr—Tom snuck up from behind and hugged her, tail swishing back and forth as his whiskers tickled her neck. Ruby giggled and scratched his chin; if he had planned on distracting her, it was obviously working. Ruby dog-eared her place in her book and set it aside so she could wrap her arms around his neck. Using his manly physique, the cat hoisted the hare into his arms, nuzzling her nose and kissing her as he carried her to his bedroom. Part of Ruby was nervous, since she was still a virgin—as far as her spotty memory could recall anyway—but as he laid her on the mattress like a queen, her worries dissipated and were quickly filled with a warm desire.

Tom lifted her dress over her head, leaving Ruby in nothing but light pink panties. Ruby’s cheeks matched the color of her underwear—since she was flat as a board, she didn’t wear a bra, and she crossed her arms over her chest before Tom could see anything. Tom smiled at her. 

“You’re so cute,” he said. He discarded his shirt and pants to match Ruby’s state of undress. He crawled on top of her and locked lips with her again; Ruby hummed, gaining the confidence to unguard herself and embrace him. Their tongues met and she could taste him—the taste of the sea and the tuna sandwich he had for lunch. She smelled the pine from when he had been outside chopping wood, smelled the sweat from his brow, smelled the cedar of the cottage home they lived in and had built together with Jay. She hooked her legs around him and the fabric of his briefs pushed against her panties. Ruby groaned into the kiss as she rubbed against Tom’s hips, and a warm fuzziness bloomed in her groin as he nudged her through the cloth…

The next thing Ruby knew, Tom pushed himself off her, jumping back as if he had touched burning metal. The pupil of his eye dilated and his blue and white fur was on end, and his claws were clutching the sheets in a death-grip. His back was slightly arched as though he was a cornered animal ready to attack. Bewildered, Ruby sat up and covered her chest again.

“Tom? Tom, are you all right?”

“ _Don’t touch me._ ” he hissed.

“What’s the matter, Tom? What did I do?”

 _“Just get away from me!_ ”

“I don’t understand! Should I call Jay?”

“JUST GO. NOW.”

“O-Okay Tom. I’ll be in my room.” Ruby picked up her dress, keeping her distance as she left. Once she got in her room, she closed the door behind her, leaning her back against it and staring at the floor. What happened? Why did he react like that? Why was he so eager for sex, only to snap at her like she was some kind of viper?

Oh… _oh._

Ruby remembered that horrific video from the Metal Glen. It showed she and Tom had been intimate before, judging from their sloppy kisses. They must’ve met and fallen in love so many times in their combined efforts to escape the lab. But if that one video was an indicator… it didn’t always end well.

_Blood, blood everywhere. A white hare dotted in scarlet with a scalpel and an unreadable expression. A lifeless blue cat with white markings abandoned on a table._

Ruby clutched her head in both paws, shaking as she endured a pounding headache. She knew how difficult it had been for both of them seeing that video, especially Tom—it took a while before he was willing to work with her and trust her again. She had hoped their days of being haunted by the Metal Glen were over, but nothing was so easy was it? She knew she would never hurt Tom. Tom knew she would never hurt him. They would talk about this later and move on.

So why did it hurt so much?

Ruby balled up her dress, then tossed it in frustration at the laundry basket and missed. She needed to clear her head, but she didn’t want to go get her book—she didn’t feel like reading anymore. She looked for her phone and earbuds, but it appeared Jay had borrowed the latter. She didn’t want to disturb anyone with her music or some random video, so the phone wasn’t an option either. She dragged herself to bed and lay down. Alas, sleep wasn’t coming.

Despite her rotten mood, the tingling she experienced earlier with Tom persisted. Ruby sighed and rolled down her paw between her legs—this wasn’t going to finish itself.

~

Tom and Ruby couldn’t look at each other the next morning. They poured their cereal and ate at the same table, but they didn’t speak. Their usual pirate jokes, like Ruby waving her silverware like a hook or Tom boasting about his eye patch, were absent—they just stared into their own bowls. They waved goodbye before they left the house, but that was all.

Ruby decided she needed time alone in the woods. Walking past the cluster of red barns, pumpkin patches, and a drizzle of orange and gold maple leaves, she found her favorite tree at the edge of the forest. It was a gigantic banyan around hundreds of years old, already ancient by the time Pumpkin Grove was born. Dozens of thick ash-gray branches descended like stalactites to form its trunk, and it reminded her of the tubes of the Metal Glen except natural and cozy. The roots were soft and thick and perfect for sitting on.

She closed her eyes and opened her third, gazing at the network of dark tendrils forming the tree. It hurt less and less as she used it; it didn’t bleed anymore. Still, overuse of her third eye led to awful migraines, so Ruby prefered using it only for finding lost items or seeking little treasures around the woods to take home. Even if she found nothing, there was something soothing about everything being stripped down to shadow.

Ruby still didn’t remember much of her life before she woke up inside her container. The one person who could’ve told her—Dr. Filbert—was long gone, and there was no way she was risking her life going back, especially to find out information she would’ve wished she never learned. How many times did she kill Tom? Was it the one time or did the video happen to be the only recorded incident? How deep were the scars between them?

“Ruby! I thought I’d find you here.” Jay and his blue plumage easily stood out among the autumnal scenery. He wore a green crocheted scarf around his neck like a mint leaf for a gingerbread house. He hopped down to sit beside her.

“Hello Jay. You’re off early.” Ruby smiled.

“We finished early! Starting tomorrow, I get a raise!”

“That’s wonderful! Congratulations Jay.”

“Heh, thanks. But that’s not what I’m here for. Ruby, what happened between you and Tom? You weren’t yourselves this morning. I tried asking Tom, but he wouldn’t say anything.”

Ruby explained the situation.

“I see…” Jay lowered his head, staring at his lap. “It’s like that, isn’t it? You think you’re over it, but then muscle memory kicks in despite all logic. Even though you both know you won’t kill him again, you still can’t help feeling guilty.”

“I’m sorry I did this to him.” Ruby lay her paws on her cheeks. “I didn’t mean…”

“Don’t blame yourself, Ruby. It wasn’t your fault.” Jay replied. “Neither of you knew what would happen. You just wanted to have a good time together, you know?”

“It’s just that we’ve seen each other at our worst, yet we’ve become closer than ever in spite of that. What if… what if this is the one obstacle Tom and I can’t overcome? What if this is the thing that breaks us apart?”

“You mind if I showed you something?” Jay dug out an item from his pocket and handed it to Ruby. It was a small powder-blue stone in the shape of an egg, lively and bright as if it would hatch in the palm of her hand. A dark spade was engraved on its smooth surface.

“What is this?”

“It’s the last thing my brother ever gave me. Back when he was still… himself.”

“You mean, Ace was your...?”

“I didn’t bring it up because I knew how much he terrorized you; I didn’t want to bring back bad memories. But he used to always look out for me… it was his idea we sought treatment in the first place. I had become completely blind and he wanted to protect me. Even when he took guard duty and couldn’t visit me as much anymore, he gave me this to think of him by. I’d squeeze it and it’d be like he’s holding my hand again from when we were kids, reminding me it’ll be okay.”

“But one day…” Jay tugged tightly at his scarf. “One day, we were talking. I told him how happy I was that I could see again. I had always felt like a burden to him, and I was sick of being some kind of anchor weighing him down… but now that we’re better, we’re free. I wouldn’t have to depend on him all the time anymore. I thought—I thought it would make him happy.”

“He didn’t take it well, did he?” Ruby replied sadly.

“He straight up grabbed me and stuffed me in the place you and Tom found me.” Jay said. “I—I don’t think it was the last time either. I think I kept getting out, and it got to the point he jammed those hooks in me. He wanted to make sure I would _stay_ there. Forever.”

“Oh Jay, that’s horrible…” Ruby held out her arms for him. Jay hugged her, feathers quivering.

“I… I don’t know why I’m telling you this, to be honest. It’s not like Ace is ever coming back. And I’m the only one who misses him! But even if… I just think if he _did_ come back, he won’t be my brother, you know? I love him, but I’m afraid of him. I’m scared he’ll just drag me back into the darkness. Does that make me a bad person?”

“Of course not!” Ruby comforted. “He was your family, and that’s hard to let go of. Whoever Ace was that I remember from the Glen… I don’t think there’s any trace of his old self left in him. No one would blame you for being afraid.”

“You and Tom—you’re the closest to family I’ve had in a long time. That’s why I want to help you in whatever way I can, even if it isn’t much. You saved my life even when I didn’t want you to... I want to at least do something for you in return.”

“You owe us nothing, Jay.” Ruby smiled, giving him back the rock. “Like you said, we’re family. No strings attached! We’re here for each other no matter what.”

“Let me at least give you your earbuds back.” The bird put a tangle of magenta string with two bulbs in her hand.

“Oh! Thanks Jay!”

“They really helped the past few nights. I feel like I actually got sleep for once! I got enough cash for my own buds now. Did you know there’s wireless?”

“I heard ads for it! Whew, technology is fast. A few days ago, I found an iPod with my third eye under this tree. They don’t make the brand anymore, but it looks so new!”

“Does it still work? If it does, what stuff is in there?”

“A bunch of bands I’ve never heard in my life. I’ve been going through them though and they sound like something I’d have adored back in my rebellious teen phase. It’s a little like going in a time machine.”

“It’s never too late to catch up on old music.” Jay grinned.

“Thanks Jay.” Ruby smiled back. “I’ll talk to Tom when I go home this evening.”

“Hope it goes well!”

~

By the time Ruby returned, Tom was on the couch watching mindless television. It was clear he wasn’t paying much attention though, and his drooped ears and whiskers haven’t gone away. Ruby asked him if he wanted to sit on the porch with her. Tom nodded, more than glad to grab the remote and flick the TV off. They watched the sky together as it changed from azure to a shimmering gold and burnt sienna, and their fingers entwined as the sun tucked itself inside a bed of deep amethyst clouds.

“I’m sorry about last night.” Tom said. “I have no idea what the hell got over me. I still feel terrible about it.”

“You don’t need to apologize, Tom. Though I admit I got scared—scared _for_ you rather than _of_ you, if you know what I mean. I admit I hadn’t thought of… _that video_ in a long time. Was that what set you off?”

“Yeah.” Tom nodded. “It’s strange because I wasn’t thinking about it either. I pushed whatever memories I had of the lab down a cliff so I could focus on the present. I didn’t want to spend my freedom feeling sorry for myself because of shit that happened long ago. Hell, shit I don’t even remember! Like why I came to the lab and how many ways I got myself killed. And obviously, I don’t give a damn that you killed me once. Not anymore.”

“And then… I did _this_ to you. I was fine, I swear to god I was! If I was so scared of you, I never would’ve carried you to my room. I wouldn’t have been so goddamn horny. We were ready for this! And everything was going great! And yet…!” Tom buried his forehead in his paws. “I ruined it all. Out of the blue, even though I’m safe—and I _know_ I’m safe—it’s happening all over again! I can’t control it no matter how hard I try. I know I’ve hurt you… it’s been eating at me all day. I didn’t know if you were mad at me or not, and I didn’t know what to say. So I just… I had to clear my head. I had to before I _yet again_ did something stupid.”

“Oh Tom…” Ruby sympathized. “If anything, I was mad at _myself._ I should’ve taken that video into consideration! The last thing I want is to constantly torment you when we’re supposed to be feeling our best. I don’t want to be just another nightmare, Tom! That’s why… that’s why it hurt. Because I don’t want to hurt you, Tom.”

“I don’t want to hurt you either, Ruby. I don’t want to push you away.”

The cat and the hare embraced.

“We’ll figure something out.” Ruby said. “Even if we have to brave seeing a therapist in order to have sex, we’ll do it.”

“Ugh... I’m so fucking sick of doctors. But if you go, I’ll go. We’re in this together.” Tom sighed. “Dammit, I still can’t shake the guilt. You must’ve been lonely as hell.”

“Actually, I was so upset I schlicked furiously until I fell asleep.” Ruby clamped her hands over her mouth, her cheeks turning a bright bubblegum pink.

Tom stared at her, his single eye wide as the moon. Then he burst out laughing.

“Oh my god… ha ha ha!”

“It just slipped out, okay?” Ruby huffed, stomping her foot. “I’m a proper adult! Just because I have a girlish figure doesn’t mean I don’t have my own needs!”

“Sorry. Hee hee hee…” Tom chuckled, then he collected himself. “It’s just funny you said that, ‘cause I did the same thing when you left. Except, you know… different parts.” He sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.

“We truly do want to jump each other’s bones, don’t we?”

“Yeah…”

“That actually reminds me,” Ruby said. “There’s something else that’s been bugging me, but I’m worried if I talk about it, it’ll only make things worse. But now that I’ve brought it up, I might as well spill the beans.”

“What is it?”

Ruby tugged at the ends of her skirt.

“I doubt I’ll develop any new mutations after my third eye. I’ve cut myself while peeling apples once, and nothing’s happened to my finger since then and that was ages ago. Still, I can’t help wondering if I got any other mutations I don’t know about. What if I have teeth in my…” Ruby stared down at herself. “What if I have teeth in places I shouldn’t?”

Tom blinked.

“You mean… vagina dentata?”

“Y-Yes!” Ruby squeaked. “How did you know?”

“Some horror movie on TV.” Tom shrugged. “I guess I gave it some thought, but I zoned out after a while. The movie was dumb, even kind of boring.”

“Tom, this is serious! What if I really…?”

“Only one way to find out. Better to lose a couple fingers from my smaller limbs than my tongue, you know?”

“Your tongue?” Ruby looked at him quizzically. “Oh… oh!” Her face deepened to full on crimson.

“Teeth or not, we’ll figure this out. If it means I have to wear something like a toy or leave the area alone, we’ll find a way to make us both feel good.”

“Th-Thanks Tom.” Ruby smiled. “I’m really excited about having my first time with you.”

“Me too. You don’t even know how long… Not tonight though. But soon.”

“Right. Today’s been kind of rough.”

“Heh. Maybe tomorrow won’t be such a pile of garbage. If at first, you don’t succeed…”

“...Try try again.”

Ruby and Tom beamed and gave each other a fist bump.

~

Indeed, it took a few tries before Ruby and Tom got anywhere during their first time. Tom had panicked again, though this time they were prepared for it—Ruby managed to calm him down, but by then they preferred to just cuddle for the rest of the night. They reminded themselves to take it slow; they had all the time in the world to be with each other, after all. But it didn’t stop them from leaping at each other like wild animals.

One night, Ruby pulled her dress off once she and Tom were alone in his bedroom. A tinge of strawberry colored her cheeks, but she was no longer shy of baring herself before her partner. She helped Tom lift his shirt and toss it aside, giving the paws from his smaller limbs a gentle squeeze.

“You know, if I wave them a little like this, they look like T-Rex hands.” Tom said, swiping his tiny claws through the air. “Raaaaaawr!”

Ruby giggled and brushed her lips on the knuckles of the T-Rex hands. The cat hummed and wrapped all his arms around Ruby, kissing her as she tugged off his briefs. He wondered… What else could his littler limbs do? Ruby squeaked into his mouth as tiny fingers slid beneath her panties. She showed him from last time how to find her clit, and he wasted no time reaching down to tease it. She melted as his main paws wandered over the back of her shoulders, and her ears twitched in contentment as he tenderly massaged her. After her underwear rolled off her legs, Ruby’s crimson eyes glimmered with anticipation.

Tom’s breath slowed as he descended down her body. Did he dare? He learned that fingers were safe—after all, if Ruby could touch herself there, it was no problem for him. But she worried something awful could happen if it was anyone beside herself, so they were relieved when they had passed the “finger test.” Tom nestled between Ruby’s legs, tenderly trailing kisses along her innermost thighs. He drank in the sight of her pink folds among snowy white fur—his shoulders trembled and his eye fluttered shut as he breathed in her comforting scent.

Ruby gasped as the wet heat of Tom’s tongue parted her lower lips—she groaned from his thorough strokes, gripping the sheets as she tried to regain her bearings. As a cat, the texture of his tongue was a little rough, but it only made what he was doing even more intense and wonderful. As he lapped at her and her clit, she whimpered and bucked against him, and she lowered her paw to pet him and scratch behind his ears.

“Tom… Tom!” Ruby cried. With a flick of his ear and a pleased hum, Tom sampled her essence before plunging his tongue inside her, helping himself to her slick walls as they wrapped him up in their embrace. Deep wanton sounds rolled from Ruby’s throat as ecstasy seized her—it was not like herself, she knew, but god she never wanted it to stop. Her paw balled into a fist on Tom’s fur and she pushed him hard against her—Tom let out a surprised muffle before moaning and being consumed by her once more. She shuddered as a tingling euphoria bloomed inside her and her hips grew light and weak… 

Panting and shaking, Ruby was a helpless mess sprawled over the sheets by the time it was over, and Tom’s amber gaze shined upon her as he withdrew and smacked his lips.

“Delicious...” He whispered. Ruby smiled coyly and pulled him in for another kiss. The taste of herself rocked a shiver down her spine—she wasn’t exactly fond of the flavor, it being more salty than sweet, but knowing Tom loved it brought her more joy than she could muster the words to say. She stroked the nape of his neck while her free paw travelled down to find his cock—Tom moaned softly into one of her ears, and she blushed from how hard and hot and clammy he was. She could feel him pulsing as she stroked the odd harmless barbs lining his shaft, which happened to be similar to the texture of his tongue. She squeaked as Tom squeezed her tail—a cotton ball of white fluff that wiggled beneath his touch.

“Arrrr! The pirate has captured his booty!” Tom growled, his other paw cupping Ruby’s rear.

“Oh you!” Ruby laughed, batting him on the shoulder. He smirked as she leaned into his touch, marveling how soft yet firm she was. Ruby busied herself again with his shaft, pleased that his manly physique extended to the rest of his body as well. Speaking of manly physique, she returned his ministrations with a small smack to his ass—Tom cried out before laughing.

“Come on, that’s it?” He snickered. “You can do better than that!” He gasped as Ruby’s hand increased in intensity; at the fifth and final slap, he winced.

“Was it too much?” Ruby asked, her face a shy cherry red. “Did it hurt?”

“Don’t worry, I’m fine.” Tom smiled. “Ohh…” The cat sank against Ruby as she proceeded pumping him, relaxing as her fingers threaded over his tail. He nudged into her grip, guiding her along so she wouldn’t squeeze too tight but gain just the right amount of momentum. With a low purr, he nipped at Ruby’s ears, gliding his tongue along the cream inner skin.

“Ooh, Tom…” Ruby shuddered. “I think I’m ready.”

“Me too.” Tom nodded, putting his paws over Ruby’s so she would let go of his cock. “First things first though.” He stretched before reaching for a nearby drawer, opening it and fishing out a familiar packet. “I figured you’d appreciate it if I remembered these.”

“Oh yeah… those.” Ruby took one of the condoms and opened it. “So… I just slip this on you, right?”

“More or less. You gotta check for holes and tears too. Don’t worry, I’ll help you out.”

“Wouldn’t your barbs poke through?”

“These were made with barbs in mind. They shouldn’t if they’re any good.”

After a careful inspection, Ruby fit the condom on Tom with ease.

“Is this good?” she asked.

“Perfect. Now, where were we...?”

Ruby plopped herself over the pillows, smiling coquettishly up at him. She preened her ears and smoothed out the fur on her cheeks, hoping to make herself more presentable. She stretched her long swan-like legs before laying and spreading them wide open, her folds wet and glistening and waiting, and her face warm with the pink of peonies.

“Such a naughty girl.” Tom purred, leaning over her and breathing into her ear. “So eager for me… you ready, babe?”

“More than ready.”

“Okay then. Here goes…!”

As her partner nudged the tip against her, Ruby cupped Tom’s face, nuzzling her nose against his. The cat and the hare giggled, then the former pushed himself inside.

Ruby’s scarlet eyes shot wide open. A stabbing sensation surged through her body, paralyzing her as beads of sweat formed at her temples. As Tom had assured her before, the barbs weren’t the problem—they only stung a little—it was the shaft as a whole. She clambered her arms around Tom and her legs locked tightly around his hips, her nails raking down his back.

“It hurts…” Ruby whimpered. “It hurts, it hurts, it hurts…!”

“Should I pull out?”

“N-No! I just… the pain will go away! I just have to get used to it.”

“Should I slow down?”

“Yes. Please...”

Tom nodded and moved Ruby so she could rest her head on his shoulder. But no matter how careful he was, the knife-like agony refused to leave her. Ruby grit her teeth, determined to ride it out for however long it took...

~

Long ago in the days leading to Hallow’s Eve, a hare emerged from one of the hospital rooms. Her gown was soaked with the blood of her lifeless lover, and a stained silver scalpel dripped with its crime in her fist. Her scarlet eyes were vacant and her mouth was a straight line.

 _Dead is better,_ the old folk whispered. The hare who inhabited this home of flesh and bone no longer existed. This body belonged to someone… _something_ else now.

The hare roamed the Metal Glen, always walking. Walking and walking and walking. Walking until the blood formed a path behind her like worn and trampled dirt in the woods. She’d pass by the ventilation fans over and over, gazing into their giant whirling blades as she paced. She climbed on the rails. Whether or not she planned to jump—if there was anything in her head at all—was never known, as she was seized and locked away by a guard wearing a spade.

~

It was very dark in her little prison. Hardly anything could be seen. Everything smelled of copper and iron, and the space was cramped and thin as a coffin. Her paws padded the walls for buttons, but no matter what she pressed, nothing worked. A persistent scraping of metal grated her nerves… and it was getting louder.

A decayed breath exhaled into her ear, sweltering as steam. Something grazed her shoulder, but she had no room to turn her head to see what it was. Fibrous root-like growths sprouted and whirled around every part of her body, spreading her out from her arms and legs down to her fingers and toes. Mucus-like tendrils coiled around her ankles, wrists, elbows, knees, and neck. Something bony or metallic gripped her tail.

There was an odd popping noise, followed by a sizzle. Her foot screamed with phantom pains. _Pop pop pop._ One by one, her toes melted away.

The hare wailed, bashing herself against the walls of her chamber. Her nails were cooked into paste before her fingers were pinched off knuckle by knuckle; by the time she wrenched her arms free, she was scratching at her fleshy binds with useless bleeding stumps.

Her feet were the next to go, crunched right out of their sockets. The horrible metallic scraping manifested itself as claws plunging into her stomach and slicing her open. Bile rose in her throat at the sticky squishing sounds among the torture—her eyes watered following the bones in her legs cracking. Her tail was torn out, and along with it, a good chunk of her lower spine. Teeth bore into her shoulders, proceeding to shred the fabric of her drenched dress and the fur off her flesh. She banged the ceiling crying for help, smashing what remained of her arms until they splotched everywhere and dripped over her amputated body.

Her eyes were stabbed into mush and scooped out, then her ears were yanked away, leaving her blind and deaf to nothing but the agony. Foul rotten fingers jabbed inside her mouth, grabbing her cheeks to split her face in half like an egg. The hare’s screams echoed throughout the Metal Glen—her throat raw and bubbling with blood—but nobody came.

She couldn’t even remember what she did wrong.

~

“Ruby! Ruby!”

“Huh…?”

“Say something! Anything! Just let me know you’re here... Ruby!”

The hare found herself back in the cat’s bed. She saw Tom and his pleading eye, his paws on her shoulders as he tried to get through to her. He had pulled out long ago, and his extra hands laid on her abdomen drawing desperate circles in her fur. She recognized his purr—not the purr he made when he was happy, but the frightened rumble in the back of his throat when he was stressed out or hurt: the purr while he was trapped in the cell he was electrocuted in. The raspy nauseous purr after he consumed a fish with arsenic. The disembodied purr from when she checked his damaged—later lost—eye.

“T-Tom?”

“Ruby! Thank god, you can hear me… You spaced out and wouldn’t respond and I got scared and—!”

“Tom, I’m sorry! I’m so so sorry…”

“Sorry for what? You got nothing to apologize for. You—”

“For everything I’ve done! For everything I can’t remember. What I’ve done to Stitches, to Red, to you, to everyone…”

“Ruby… look at me. Look at my face. Look me in the eye. Just do it.”

Ruby sniffled. Her face was red and blotchy from crying—her third eye was open, strained and veiny from her grief, but there wasn’t a tinge of blood in its tears. Tom held her cheek, combing her whiskers and smoothing out her soaked fur.

“I love you Ruby. That is the only thing that matters.”

“I… I love you too, Tom.” She clung to him, sobbing softly into his shoulder. As Tom held her, she recognized an odd feeling that she hadn’t felt in a long time… perhaps weeks, months, years. Something she didn’t expect in a private intimate moment like this where she and Tom were at their weakest…

It was safety. No matter what memories plagued her, no matter how much they made her question what was real and what wasn’t, the reality was she was _here._ She was here and Tom was here. No matter how bad things got, they were here.

Ruby sniffled again and wiped her eyes. Tom offered her a tissue and she graciously accepted it.

“I think…” she said. “I think I’m ready to try again.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure, Tom. I want you. I want you more than I want anything else in the whole world.”

“All right then. Lay back for me.” He positioned himself over Ruby. “...Actually, hold on. I got a better idea.” He turned her around, then nestled against her back as he embraced her with both sets of arms. He rested his head on the hare’s shoulder, inhaling her scent. “Mmm… that’s more like it…”

Ruby sighed peacefully. While it wasn’t the same as being able to see his face, she had to admit this position was quite comfy. She snuggled against him, feeling his cock at her entrance once more. “Okay. Ready.”

With a low moan, Tom slid back inside. Ruby winced and grit her teeth, though thankfully the pain wasn’t as extreme as before. Tom dotted her neck in kisses; as he did so, his upper paws lay over her flat breasts and kneaded them, rousing her rosy nipples so he could pinch them. His lower paws worked on her clit, circling and rubbing the sensitive nub. Ruby sighed, melting against his touch… the more she basked in it, the less the penetration hurt. There was no longer a knife in her.

“Oh my god… you feel so good,” Tom murmured. “You’re so sexy and warm… beautiful too. And so fucking wet, god…”

“Tooooooom!” Ruby pouted and wiggled against him. She gasped as the cat hit a particularly good spot; she squirmed to entice him to go deeper. The pain was gone and replaced with an odd tingling, and her walls accommodated Tom for more of it. “Ooh… ooh…”

“Like that? Naughty bunny…” Tom smirked, dragging his tongue along her ear.

“And you’re such a naughty cat…” Ruby chuckled with a shudder. “Waiting to pounce on an innocent girl like me. I’ve been yearning for so long…”

“Yearning to be _fucked._ ” Tom purred—the frisky mischievous kind of purr she knew and loved.

“Yes…” Ruby breathed, rocking against him a little. “By you…”

“Hehe. Sounds like you’re not so innocent after all. All the better for me…”

Ruby hummed, reveling in Tom’s embrace as he indulged himself in her: her nipples were like tiny sparks after being pinched and massaged so much, and her clit was so hard and aching that it would be impossible for her to come down from her high. She took a bite out of the forbidden fruit and she wanted more—not just a mere basket, but the entire damn orchard too.

She must’ve been more demanding than she thought, unconsciously grinding deep against Tom and raking her nails along his arms.

_No Ruby, this is too much! You need to tone it down or you’ll scare him again and—!_

Before she had time to finish that thought, Tom seized her and pinned her down against the bed. Hard.

Ruby screamed with exhilaration as Tom hammered into her without mercy. He clamped a paw over her mouth—she tensed briefly before closing her eyes, realizing she had the freedom to make as much noise as possible without anyone else listening. She relished in his relentless thrusts, pouring her delirious moans into his palm.

“Ruby… hah… do you want to fuck me?”

“Mmm?”

“Do you want to ride on top of me? Make me yours?”

Ruby’s face burned against his paw. She nodded.

Tom let her go, helping her turn around and face him before he lay back on the mattress. Ruby gazed down upon him in awe: his single eye was as golden as a sunflower, his fur as azure as the sky, and his hands and chest and lower half of his face as white as the clouds residing in it. She laid her paws on the tuft of fur on his chest, marveling its cottony softness. She inhaled slowly and began to move.

Tom sighed as Ruby lifted and lowered herself onto him, keeping still so she could figure out the rhythm. She would back up to the tip before sitting down again—the faster she performed, the easier it was for Tom’s balls to smack against her each time she came down to the hilt. His barbs were little nubs of spice, providing texture even through the condom. Low amorous moans left her throat as she bounced on him, the sweet music of Tom’s own sounds fueling her.

“O-Oh… yes, crush me…” Tom gasped. “Make me one wet pussy cat…”

“Wait a minute. Aren’t I the one with the wet—?” Ruby paused, then scowled. “Tom, you are the _worst._ ”

“I wasn’t making a joke, I swear!” Tom rubbed the back of his head, turning red as Ruby. “I uh… I just say really weird things when I’m into it. I get too horny to think straight.”

”As opposed to earlier?”

”Heh. You have a point there.”

Ruby giggled. “Then hold still, because soon I’ll be the only thing you can think about.”

“No complaints here.”

Riding Tom was absolute heaven, the way it was so easy to slide over him. Even better was watching him come undone, him sprawled on the bed mewling helplessly as his paws kneaded the sheets. Knowing she and her girlish figure could do this to someone with such manly physique… she couldn’t help being proud of herself.

Ruby leaned in and cupped Tom’s face, claiming his lips with hers. They were moving together now, the hare slamming down with each of the cat’s thrusts. There was nothing to hold back any more and they raced together toward the finish. Ruby’s third eye shot wide open upon her climax, and she could see everything about her lover—Tom’s silhouette was a gorgeous space in which she gladly wrapped herself in, enchanted by its oblivion. With one last buck, Tom embraced her as he joined her in her bliss.

Neither of them wanted to get up. But they agreed that used condoms weren’t much fun, so Tom took care to properly dispose of it so he could go back to snuggling Ruby. They lay on their sides as the cat pulled the quilt over themselves. Pink as a flamingo and sated and warm, Ruby flipped over and hummed against Tom’s chest as he purred contentedly at her shoulder, grinning as he trailed his tongue over it.

“Ooh…” she glowed. “That was wonderful.”

“Glad we got to go all the way, huh?”

“Yeah. That was fun.”

“Hard not to have fun when it’s with you.”

Ruby giggled and pecked his nose good night. “Sweet dreams, Tom.”

Tom chuckled and returned with one last kiss. “You too. Love you…”

“Love you too.”

But nothing could be so simple. Ruby knew she and Tom still had to do something about those flashbacks. Maybe those will never fully go away. But now she knew for certain: she and Tom escaped the Metal Glen, the ugliest and most difficult obstacle their lives had thrown at them. No matter what the road ahead was like, they were fully capable of traversing it together, and she couldn’t ask for a better companion to do it with.


End file.
